Over 1,000 people walk to pitch for early cancer diagnosis

New Delhi: Over 1,000 people from various walks of life, including school children, on Sunday participated in a cancer awareness walk to raise awareness of and lay stress on early detection of the disease that kills over seven lakh people every year in India.

The campaign titled ‘Walk-A-Mile: It’s Worth Your While’, was organised by the city-based BLK Hospital, considered to be pioneer in the cancer treatment.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), with an increase in cancer cases from around 14 lakh in 2016 to over 17.3 lakh by 2020, the disease-related deaths are also estimated to rise rapidly from 7.36 lakh to over 8.8 lakh in next four years.

The walk, supported by the Indian government PSUs and Resident Welfare Associations, began at 7.00 a.m. from BLK Super Speciality Hospital, covered West Delhi area and termianted back at the hospital.

“With inadequate diagnosis resulting out of an awareness deficit, 50 per cent cancer patients realise that they are already in 3rd or 4th stage, severely affecting their survival chances. Majority of cancers in men and women include breast, oral, lung, stomach, colorectum, pharynx and ovary, which accounts for 47.2 per cent of all cancers. These can be prevented, screened and treated at an early stage” said Kapil Kumar, Director – BLK Cancer Centre.